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Topic: Keyboard Case Painting Tips (Read 177720 times)

I love painting stuff, from modding and painting computer cases to... anything (even my Logitech G518 mouse is painted). I can't do it often due to lack of dedicated work space (I live in a city apartment), but this thread is one of those "living painting threads" for my recent projects.

"If at first you don't succeed, Try, try again" - W. E. Hickson

PLEASE REMEMBER TO PAINT LOTS OF SAMPLES OF WHAT YOU PLAN ON CUSTOMIZING. Use scrap metal, plastic, old gaming controllers (even plastic utencils for a color test)--anything that will give you a good idea of how your paints and primers and whatever else you are using will1. work together2. how long it will take for them to dry3. if you will like the final result or whether you need to change something4. how durable the paint will be (give it a good few days to cure)

This is in regards to the "failure" posts where people get frustrated and give up because their attempt at painting X didn't work out.

~ General Painting Guidelines ~

Before you paint: do some preliminary research on the colors you like, on the paints you find interesting, and on how those paints look / how they are to work with.This is done by googling paint brand + name as well as like "Rust-oleum Primer for plastics on ABS" etc. It is important to do preliminary research, because it can help you learn what your options are based on your budget and location, as well as any intricacies about painting with the paints you choose. Some get very poor reviews on auto and hobby painting forums--those are the ones that come up most frequently in Google searches. Also have a look at store reviews--some paints have Amazon and Home Depot reviews. Moreover, you will find some interesting tips and techniques while doing your preliminary research.

I cannot help you finding the best paint available in your country, but Google can!

Be careful about your paint selection: the paint you like may not be suitable for your projectAnd by that, I mean some paints are not colorfast if exposed to daylight frequently (some dayglow and fluorescent paints), some are not very durable; some are thin, runny, and don't cover well; some depend on the color of paint under them to influence the outcome (chameleon paints), etc. Again, research the paints you like by looking for reviews and forum posts on automotive and hobby forums (Google Images and Google Web Search are very helpful for that).

When you get your painting products in your possession, make sure to read the labels on the cans carefully and follow the instructions. If it says to wait at least 5 minutes between consecutive coats--please wait at least 5 minutes. Paints must cure for proper hardness and adhesion, and improper application can stall or prevent proper curing, causing your paint to lift, crack, peel off, etc. Painting in high humidity also has adverse effects on curing as well as the actual process of spraying an aerosol cloud of paint particles onto a surface. You may end up with a cloudy uneven finish.

Look up some videos on proper painting technique.That is, if you're using a rattle can or a spray paint gun, you need to make sure to paint in a gentle sweeping motion, say left-to-right and back in zig zags, and don't spray over a single spot for longer than a moment or you will spray too much! It is better to spray too little and go over a bare spot a few times again later than to spray too much, trying to get an opaque coverage in one coat. Spraying too much results in sagging and inhibits proper curing.

Prepare your work space!Painting with spray cans is messy business. Clouds of tiny aerosol particles of paint will form around the area you're spraying, and those clouds are 1. not exactly healthy to breathe, 2. can cover you and your clothes with paint over time, and 3. will make the surroundings dirty. So use plenty of cardboard to cover your work area and preferably spray outside or in a well-ventilated garage, away from any valuables (or with valuables concealed with tarp and cardboard). I am not responsible for your spouses / significant others becoming irritated with your newly discovered painting hobby

Practice on some scrap / things you don't care much about before moving on to your keyboard case or a computer case (a.k.a. valuable item you wish to paint)Practicing is Always good. The more you paint, the better feel you will get for the paint you work with: how it comes out of the nozzle, how long it takes to dry, what the finish is like, how well the paint adheres, and how hard the final finish is.

Gloss paint generally takes significantly longer to dry and requires more time between consecutive coats vs. matte paint of the same brand / kind. Some paint will take you by surprise and will continue being smudgy for hours upon hours after painting (such as Rust-Oleum Universal line)--it will take up to 2 days for you to be able to handle your painted piece without putting a fingerprint dent onto the paint. Some paint can be relatively safely handled 2 hours after painting. Some paint needs some sort of an adhesion promoter / primer under it to stick to plastic, and some already comes pre-mixed with a primer (Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X, for example). I've also found that some metal flake paints need a fresh base layer of paint under them to adhere to plastics (for example DupliColor Metal Specks: I spray a thin layer of something like Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2x under them for adhesion).

In summary, make samples first, get a feel for your paint--move on to your main project once you feel confident.

When you start painting, each time you haven't used a particular can of paint for a while (or it's the first time you use it), after shaking the can well, spray elsewhere other than on your project to get the flow of the paint going properly. Then spray onto some scrap cardboard or plastic to see if the paint comes out evenly. Sometimes a nozzle is bad, and you'll get paint running down the can onto your fingers. Or worse, you will get larger droplets of paint onto your project, that will look like small splatters among the finely sprayed paint. Cleaning the nozzle with a paper towel or an alcohol-soaked cotton ball periodically helps, if it's one of those poorly-spraying ones. Sometimes it's best to take off the nozzle entirely and give it a good cleaning with some alcohol. If any paint has dried to cover the hole of the nozzle, you will get an uneven spray. It can even just be a poorly-designed nozzle to start with, and you should use something else.

Furthermore, some paint starts out with small caked bits that end up shooting out of the nozzle and sticking to your painted surface. It looks terrible--like small particles of dirt or lint trapped under paint. Usually shaking well and regularly is great to help with this, but some paint is just bad, and you won't be able to get rid of those little balled up congealed pieces. Better to scrap that can and get a new one. This is another reason for painting onto something unimportant first. Imagine your surface is all nicely prepared and already painted with a few layers of paint. Then you come back, spray some more... and get a bunch of tiny pieces of gunk onto the surface! You'll have to stop, wait many hours, do some sanding to even out the surface again, clean, wait for the curing process, then spray again. (This has happened to me with a can of Rust-Oleum Universal paint in Pearl Mist, for example. Other cans in that range have been just fine, so I assume it was that individual can that had the problem).

Layering paint: make sure you read / research carefully which paints you are getting. Their composition varies, and they usually fall into these common categories for rattle cans: acrylic lacquers and oil enamels for general purpose rattle cans.There are also other varieties of paint which are intended for automotive painting and are generally more expensive: acrylic enamels (enamels are harder than lacquers), acrylic urethanes (1K (1-stage) and 2K (2-stage, multiple components)) and they usually require more preparation, such as an adhesion promoter, an epoxy primer for urethane paints, an appropriate urethane top clear coat, etc. Urethane paints are also dramatically more toxic, and you must have good ventillation while spraying as well as wear proper full-face masks and protective clothing.

Anyway, for most people here, acrylic lacquers and oil enamels will be the paints of choice, as they come in easily accessible rattle cans and don't cost a mini fortune. Oil enamels are what I personally have the most experience with due to accessibility on-line and in automotive stores + Home Depot. I've seen recommendations for VHT and Duplicolor Fabric and Vinyl Dye sprays, but have not tried them myself to comment.

Note that acrylic lacquers and oil enamels are not really rubbing and finger-oil-proof. So say if you paint a mouse and clear coat it and all that, you will still see the paint will begin to wear off in a month or so over the click buttons. For touch-proof frequently handled surfaces, you need to go with more professional paints, such as 2K urethane paints.

Now: oil enamel can be layered over oil enamel and over acrylic lacquer. Acrylic lacquer SHOULD NOT be layered over oil enamel. This applies to colors and clear coats and is important for proper curing as well as avoiding dissolving and lifting your base layers when spraying new paint over them.

Surface Preparation: it is important that you inspect your piece that you will be painting and note if there is any existing coating on it, such as paint, rubber coating, anything else of note.Generally you should remove any coating with coarse sandpaper (good quality sandpaper is paramount, and make sure to send wet--with water--surfaces only) and clean down to bare ABS plastic. If you are painting powder-coated steel (such as when modding a computer case), it's okay to spray directly over it--just scuff the coated surface a bit with some 1000-grit sandpaper and clean well with some rubbing alcohol. See further in this thread about sanding QFR cases. Once you have sanded your piece to bare plastic or your piece is all ABS to start with (in which case yous should still scuff it with steel wool or sand paper to promote adhesion--don't paint mirror-smooth surfaces, always scuff them a bit), clean it really well! If your piece happens to have a lot of grease on it from something that you can't remove well, use a professional grease and tar remover (can be gotten for under $10 in auto supply shops). Otherwise, wash with detergent and water, rinse really well, allow to dry COMPLETELY, then go over the surface with a fiber cloth soaked in alcohol. Get a cloth that removes lint and dust--any dust particles left on the surface tend to come through the paint for a few thin layers. (Also note, don't spray in dusty basements or similar--dust will be the bane of your existence when spray painting!)

Primers/Adhesion Promoters: If your paint does not come premixed with a primer, it's a safe assumption that you should get a primer or some sort of an adhesion promoter just in case. A good adhesion promoter that I've found so far has been DupliColor Adhesion Promoter, which is sold at all of my local auto supply stores (like AutoZone, Advance Auto Parts, etc.). It sprays completely clear, and you only need a VERY thin veil of a layer, then proceed with your paint of choice after a minute or so. It can be applied over bare metal as well and works quite well for that. If your surface is very uneven, make sure to sand it well to even it out first. Otherwise, you may need something like a filler primer or even some Bondo body filler (STINKS horribly when freshly mixed but dries rock solid and works really well filling any holes. Can be sanded to be level with your surface).

For basic paint jobs on like QFR covers, if you use Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X, which contains a primer, you don't need any additional primer / adhesion promoter. Just prepare / clean the surface well, scuff it, and proceed with the paint.

When painting, for your first layer do a very fine veil of color, such that you will still see most of the base plastic / surface through it. Say if you're panting with white, it will just look like a messy dusty surface over black plastic. Then for your next layer after a couple minutes, you can do a SLIGHTLY more opaque layer. But as mentioned before, NEVER do thick wet layers. Only do heavy layers if you really know what you are doing and what to expect. For any beginners, I would only recommend doing many light layers.

Clear Coats: for most paints, I would strongly recommend a clear coat.Clears are generally harder than colors, and they help protect your work against scuffs, minor scratches, and dullness. For example, you will have a much harder time scratching a clear-coated paint job with your fingernail than if you just left it with color paint and no clear coat. There are some specialty finishes and paints where you can forego a clear coat for something like a computer case or a keyboard case, since you won't be subjecting them to heavy use or inclement weather. But still, generally better to clear coat than not.

NOTE: once you do coat your work with a clear, it will be significantly more difficult to touch up. So do all the corrections before you spray your clear.

Clears come in different types: gloss, satin, matte, as well as mixed with some pearl or iridescent particles for a desired effect. Gloss clear is the most transparent clear you will get. It is, understandably, glossy and generally requires some polishing work afterwards. Matte clears generally contain a sort of a milky substance that's part of what makes them matte, and you will unfortunately see your matte clears if you spray them over dark gloss base color paints. So say if you're spraying gloss brown, going over it with a matte clear is not a good idea. You want to look for a matte brown and then follow with a very fine veil of matte clear. Otherwise, gloss clear over gloss brown will look best. You can spray matte clear over LIGHT-toned gloss colors (like over light beige) to end up with a semi-matte textured effect, sort of like old school beige computer plastics.

You can spray clear right after you paint your colored paint--if you're happy with how that came out. If you wait more than an hour in between, you should wait the recommended 24-48 hours (or even longer) before adding clear coats to ensure proper curing (again, read re-coating information on your spray cans). Acrylic paints can frequently be re-coated without any waiting window.

Spraying gloss clear paint too much too fast can result in yellowing. If you see any yellowing in some crevice where clear paint has accumulated--don't panic! Generally (not always) the yellow tint goes away after the paint cures in a day or two.

For any post-clear wet-sanding and polishing tips, please see links below. Don't be over-eager, and let your paint dry really well before you do anything to it like polishing. Better to wait for up to a week for some paints before using any polishing compounds.

My Ducky TKL had to undergo a transformation, and I planned its case color for a while, and finally settled on a neutral "silver" (in the sense that I'll probably change my mind once or twice on the keycaps for it, so I want it to match everything).

Since I love bright colors, my silver did not end up being plain silver... It ended up being super silver! (Silver flake + iridescent top coat). Almost sad that it's over now, and I have to plan out my new painting project

Waiting to dry:

Trying it on (with flash:)

Finished! (without flash)

I had copper metallic on my mind as well as red. Or even a satin brown. Next time!

Thanks guys! I really enjoy painting stuff (other than in winter, when I can't do it outside due to low temperatures).

I use oil-based enamel spray paints for my projects. Mostly, I prefer Rust-Oleum, as from personal experience, their sprays go on the smoothest and with high pigment density. I completely cut out Krylon, as their Fusion lfor Plastics can melt some kinds (ABS, I believe), and other kinds I tried go on too thinly and unevenly. Plus Rust-Oleums Painters Touch can be sprayed directly onto plastic as well (and many of their other paints, though I do own and use a primer for plastics in some cases). DupliColor has some good selection, but they share Sherwyn Williams as their parent company with Krylon, and I notice greater difficulty with achieving smooth results using DC too.

Moving on, for thic case, I used Rust-Oleum's Black Night Metallic as a light base coat to promote adhesion. On top, many thin layers of DupliColor Metal Speck in Silver, followed by DupliColor Clear Effex, which is a clear enamel with very fine iridescent flakes in it--invisible unless illuminated with brighter light.

Thin base layer of paint / primer, followed by slightly thicker but still fine layers of base paint. Then a fine mist of the top coat (usually a gloss clear enamel), followed by 2-3 heavier coats. Always wait at least 2-3 minutes between coats, or until they appear dry to touch. Over spraying results in pools of paint which can wrinkle, lift, and generally present problems for a smooth finish.

Polishing the clear coat is what gives that car-like shiny finish to paints without enough metal flake. Surface preparation is important as a gound for a smooth finish, but spraying from rattle cans will still result in an orange peel textured finish. So I usually wet-sand the fully dry clear coat with 1500-, then 2000-grit sand paper and follow with a rubbing compound (finer than sand paper) and a polishing compound (the finest last stage of reducing dullness and swirls). For this particular case, I did not sand /polish, and left the finish a bit rough, as it looks more like actual sand-blasted metal in person that way.

I did end up polishing the case after all, as the slight roughness in places was bothering me. Only used a rubbing compound + polish and some vigorous rubbing

At some point I want to try engine enamels (for a cool selection of colors), but still don't know how they will end up without tempering in an oven... which would melt the case plastic. Also want to try PlastiDip, as there are many cool effects that can be achieved with PlastiDip base coats and metallizers on top. And then there are color-changing oil enamels, like Rust-Oleum ColorShift, and DupliColor Mirage. Basically lots of cool options.

Here's the Ducky with the silver cable in daylight. Got some colored caps on the way for it to replace the black

I would say it's quite durable for normal use. Very durable on hard metal surfaces (like cars or bicycle frames -- it's basically the same paint, just in rattle cans (and less fancy solvents probably). Plastic surfaces are more tactile, so you could dent / scratch them more easily, but for a desk keyboard it's not really an issue. But I would advise against oil based clear coats on sufaces where acidic oils from sweaty hands would dull and dissolve the coating over time: surfaces like miceor plastic keyboard wrist rests. I'd use something like plastidip for those. Narrow keyboard bezels will be fine with periodic cleaning. All of my painted computer cases still look like new--I just clean any dust and oils with a fiber cloth every few weeks.

Next up is my Filco Camo TKL that will be either the same Aged Copper on top or a greenish blue metallic (dark).

The bottom of the case has been painted pure copper (Rust-Oleum Stops Rust Copper):

That's the progress so far. Need to decide on the top color still. The top cover has been sanded in places to allow for wider keycap openings, as it was a bit tight around the keys.

Also really wish I could get ahold of some switches so I could put it all together sooner!

I'll be dying the green Camo cord black, most likely.

ETA: The top cover has been painted and clear-coated too now--"Aged Copper" Now to wait 2 days until I can actually sand and polish... silly paint takes so long to dry (and the bottom of the case is already quite dry--what a difference in not having a primer mixed in!)

Do you tape over the stickers and feet when painting? or some other type of masking?

I was going to tape over that big one in the center, but it actually peeled off easily, so I just took it off before painting. All the rubber parts come off effortlessly. The Filco logo turned out to be fixed to the top cover with sticky glue--not even with plastic tabs. I pried it out with a box cutter (have to be very gentle or you risk scratching the logo).

I did tape over the parts of the bottom tray that are going inside the top cover. You can see the tape on the bottom edges of the tray (with respect to it being upside down).

The Camo paint is very hard and durable, so I didn't bother sanding it off. But the areas I did sand a lot revealed fairly light beige plastic.

Looking good! If you don't feel like dying the cord, I can trade you my black cord from the Filco I'm receiving soon. I'm planning to do a detachable cable mod, so the cable color doesn't matter to me since it'll be hidden inside the case.

I would say it's quite durable for normal use. Very durable on hard metal surfaces (like cars or bicycle frames -- it's basically the same paint, just in rattle cans (and less fancy solvents probably). Plastic surfaces are more tactile, so you could dent / scratch them more easily, but for a desk keyboard it's not really an issue. But I would advise against oil based clear coats on sufaces where acidic oils from sweaty hands would dull and dissolve the coating over time: surfaces like miceor plastic keyboard wrist rests. I'd use something like plastidip for those. Narrow keyboard bezels will be fine with periodic cleaning. All of my painted computer cases still look like new--I just clean any dust and oils with a fiber cloth every few weeks.

Thank you for this reply to my question, I had not noticed you answered until now. Learned a little bit more, once I gather the courage I will give it a try.

The top has significantly more metal flake. Almost as prominent as DupliColor's MetalSpeck line. The Stops Rust in "Copper" by Rust-Oleum results in some uneven tone (lighter in some areas, darker in others), my guess is due to the fine metal particles being subject to orientation in how the paint is sprayed and dries. Was very difficult to get it to look even. It's even reflected on the cap of the can. The "Black Night Metallic" from the same line is excellent, however, and has no such issues.

ETA: and if anyone is curious what flat paints look like, here's Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch "French Lilac" with a lot of clear gloss over it (in thin layers!), sanded and polished

Filco Camo has a neat bronze/gold logo. First I thought it wouldn't go well with copper, but it's actually pretty cool and does fit my slightly steampunk plan for this keyboard

The logo itself is actually not held by plastic tabs as someone told me but rather is glued with sticky stretchy glue to the plastic of the casing. To remove the logo, use a VERY skinny blade, such as a box cutter, put a layer or two of teflon tape over it (the logo is made of metal and is pretty delicate / easy to nick), and pry the logo off the plastic case gradually. The black parts of the logo are a thin layer of black paint over the metal, so take care to not scrape it off. Though if you do, you could fix it later with some tiny paintbrush and black enamel paint. I would recommend prying from the bottom of the logo, not the top, as any nicks will be less visible then.

I didn't think of it when I started removing my logo, and you can see the small cut I made on the "O" (thankfully not visible at normal distance)

Today I learned that unlike Filco Majestouch-2 TKL Camo, the standard black Majestouch-2 TKL has square holes through the casing under the metal "Filco" badge. You can stick something narrow through them and gently push the logo outwards.

Working on my 3rd and last keyboard: another Filco TKL, this time a standard Majestouch-2, originally in black (logo removal shot above).

This is a very complicated color and is a work in progress. Drying for now. With flash, so all the metallic flakes are exaggerated.

This has:

Rust-Oleum primer for plastics as a base (mixed feeling on this... but I used it just in case, as Stops Rust can dry very hard, and I can't have anything chip off later)

Rust-Oleum Stops Rust "Gold Rush" as a base golden color (kind of a boring color on its own)

Rust-Oleum Stops Rust in metallic blue on top (VERY nice color on its own, goes on thickly and smoothly)

Dupli-Color Metal Specks in "Shimmering Green" as a fine mist on top (few fine misted layers)--not a big fan of this one, as it tends to splatter; have to be super careful (not a very good nozzle)

The end result is a medium dark sea color--my favorite It's getting lightly sanded and I might do more coats tomorrow and maybe an iridescent top coat--unsure yet. I kind of like it rough--it looks like sandblasted anodized metal.

Well... I finished it, and as it happens, I didn't like it! It wasn't quite what I had in mind. So... the paint is off now (200-grit 3M sandpaper--really great stuff!)

Basically I loved the color, but my apartment doesn't get a great deal of light, so it looked too dark. Great outside, dark inside. Going to stick with lighter colors. Trying to decide between metallic orange and darker "steel" silver metallic.

That Orange is pretty awesome, but I couldn't imagine a full top plate of that color. If it was a 60% it would look awesome, but not a full keyboard or tenkeyless. I'd go for the steel silver. If you want something more dramatic, maybe just mist some of the orange over it to get some orange flecking.

It was good on photos taken outside. Inside it was not quite like it Dark and more blue. It's my favorite color, and I wanted it to work, but those paints I used resulted in a dark combination.--A silent witness to the blue-green that once was

Thank you! Yes, I love painting, but try to do it in moderation and always outside, as spray paints are not exactly healthy to breathe around. I used to do a lot of artistic oil painting for fun, but that waned over time, due to lack of time and being tired a lot. Then I found that I can mod and paint computer cases and such with spray paint and finally moved on to keyboards It's been a learning experience, and I make mistakes and learn from them all the time. I tend to make a lot of samples on scrap metal and plastic utencils to see how colors will mix, and how the finish will look (gloss, flat, rough, smooth, etc.)